Difficult times for Cruise & Ferry operators

Upmarket cruise line Silversea is feeling the pinch at the moment. Not only is it being hit hard by rocketing bunker prices, but the slow down of the US economy is hitting it hard in passenger numbers, as more than half of its customers come from the US. Added to this is the fact that it’s having problems recruiting and holding onto quality staff. Not a good state of affairs for a company that’s investing US $500m in a new ship and refits for two of its fleet. I wonder how many other luxury brands are in the same situation.

The lot of the humble ferry foot-passenger has not been an easy one in recent years as car/coach passengers rule the roost on many routes, particularly in Northern Europe. So it comes a no surprise to hear that French cross-channel operator SeaFrance won’t be carrying foot-passengers aboard its latest vessel, SeaFrance Moliere, when she comes into service, hopefully, at the end of July on the busy Dover-Calais run. The former Mediterranean ferry is completing a delayed £12m refit in Dunkirk to enable her to meet the demands of her new route, being equipped with new facilities for car and coach passengers, as well as freight drivers. However, it seems that there’s not enough money in the pot to fit her with foot-passenger boarding doors! The ferry operator says that only three per cent of its loadings on the Dover-Calais run are foot-passengers. So I guess that they will have to use rival operator P&O Ferries instead. Sphere: Related Content